Burnet volleyball season ends against China Spring

CAPTION: Lady Dawgs Payton Smith (in the white jersey), Sarah Cullison, Brooklynn Dawgs, Peyton McCabe, Taylor Smith, Journey Denton and assistant coach Treasure Ellerbe celebrate a point during the bi-district match against China Spring. Photo by Martelle Ludecke/Luedecke Photography

The Burnet High School volleyball team lost to China Spring 27-29, 17-25, 25-16, 13-25 Oct. 30 in a bi-district championship of the Class 4A Division I playoffs.

The Lady Dawgs end their season with a 26-10 overall record, 8-4 in District 24-4A play for third place.

With their season on the line, the Lady Dawgs showed their fight in winning the third set to extend the match.

“It was our better, more confident set,” head coach Crystal Shipley said. “We made a couple of line-up changes just to try to find something that would get a rhythm going. It still wasn’t our best we’ve played, but we found a way to pull away and stay in control.”

The Lady Dawgs also displayed another pillar of the program throughout the match – resiliency. That was evident after a hard-fought opening set that required more points than the usual 48 to decide. The Lady Cougars (23-17, 6-4 District 23-4A third place) won it on the 56th point with a kill.

Shipley noted the Lady Dawgs ran up against a University Interscholastic League rule on substitutions. Squads are allowed a maximum of 18 per set.

“We ran out of subs at a crucial time and had players in a position they weren’t comfortable with,” she said. “China Spring did a good job recognizing it and took advantage of the situation.” 

The coach added that result was challenging in several ways.

“It was mentally tough,” she said. “Calls made at crucial moments shifted momentum and caused rotations to happen too often, which makes us sub more often. We have never run out of subs at the time we did in set one, and it hurt us. We were strategic with who and when we subbed at the end, and it just didn’t work. Losing such a hard fought set takes a toll, and it made it hard to get momentum from China Spring after that.”

The result of one match doesn’t take away all this squad has accomplished. After all, it won almost 30 matches, didn’t back down against some state-ranked teams, including Salado, Georgetown Gateway and Johnson City, and battled opponents that will make deep postseason runs.

While the on-court results speak for themselves, Shipley said it’s what these Lady Dawgs did away from the gym that will stay with her.

“They are the most ‘together’ team I have ever coached,” she said. “They love each other, and they truly are each other’s biggest fans. I believe they have built such a strong bond. There was never any selfishness, never a missed practice; they were just committed.”

She credits much of that to seniors Peyton Allen, Grace Cullison, Sarah Cullison, Journey Denton, Wrigley Mulhollan and Payton Smith. The team is projected to have nine returners next season.

“That is a huge reflection of our senior girls,” the coach said. “They have led in a special way and made sure everyone was included in the extra team things. They work hard, do everything we ask without complaining. They are leaving an amazing legacy.”

The season also had several individual milestones. Denton will graduate as the all-time leader in digs, while Smith leaves as the all-time leader in aces. Sophomore Brooklynn Dawes is the new single season leader in aces, while freshman Landry Schubert has the most blocks in a season.

“(Denton and Smith) have put in a lot of time for this program, so it was bound to happen,” Shipley said. “It is exciting to think about the future of this program. We have a great group of young returners, which is so fun to think about, but for now we will hold onto the memories made this year and work hard to prepare for next season.” 

CAPTION: Sophomore Brooklynn Dawes (left) and freshman Landry Schubert hold banners proclaiming each as the single season leaders in aces and blocks. Courtesy photo